


Sometimes all it takes to Fall In Love is the guts to TRY

by jeffgangfan



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: An OC - Freeform, Angst, Angst and Fluff, First Kiss, Issues, M/M, Sleepovers, going on quests together, stealing cookies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 11:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6236704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeffgangfan/pseuds/jeffgangfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy and Nico found themselves surprised by their new stage of friendship. Percy thought about this a lot. He also thought about Nico too much. However, it never occurred to him that they could be anything more than just friends. They couldn't possibly...Or could they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sometimes all it takes to Fall In Love is the guts to TRY

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I'm sorry I took so long to come back but I really hope this fic will give you fluffy feels and make your day!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except for Leia) , Rick Riordan does.  
> The movie is based on another fic of mine.

Percy was feeling happy. Not in an exhilarating way, but the way he would feel after a whole week without danger or bad news. He sang aloud to the song played on the radio, relieved that Mom and Paul weren't around. He wouldn't want to wake them with his awful singing voice.

He sat back down on a nearby chair and heard a joint at his lower back pop. Percy then flexed to hear more popping sounds with regret for having stayed up late the night before. Nico was coming over to update him on the well-being of their friends in Rome, so Percy had decided to treat Nico with a batch of early morning cookies.

Percy had missed Nico to the point that he came to realize how they both had changed. Life moved on and his friendship with Nico didn't sound so impossible as it had just after they had won the Giant War.

He had to confess that he didn’t make any remarkable attempts on making amends for Nico, though. Not after the son of Hades had, in the least subtle way possible, told him that moving on from their past didn’t necessarily mean friendship. It stung, as a rejection would, with a sense of guilt always tagging along whenever he thought of Nico.

Yet, Percy was a stubborn person and if he couldn’t go to the extreme, he would stick to one possible route that eventually had to work. Whenever he ran into Nico at Camp or heard that Nico would return from New Rome (Hazel had been a dear), he would invite the boy over for dinner or just for the sake of blue cookies. At first, Nico would frown with an appreciative nod before telling him that someone, somewhere would need the son of Hades to run a few errands. Percy would look at his retreating back as the boy was engulfed by the surrounding shadows with wishful thinking that maybe Nico would accept his next invitation. Later on, he didn’t have to hope at all, for Nico was slowly cracking and Percy could see the light that showed how much Nico actually wanted to come over beneath his shadowy surface.

“Percy, you’re staring.” Nico informed him, not bothered to sit up from the sofa. The son of Poseidon snapped out of his thoughts and smiled sheepishly at the lounging boy. He remembered how stiff Nico once had been, his posture ram-rod straight on the sofa, dark clothes contrasting beige fabric. And how Nico had nibbled so slowly at the cookie given to him, unsure what to say to Percy back then.

“Lost in thoughts.” He confessed to the Underworld demigod, who grabbed hold of another cookie. Nico nodded sympathetically and Percy was startled by the fact that if Annabeth were here, there wouldn’t have been a lack of sarcastic remark like this.

“Sometimes I would freeze and see the damn place all over again.” Nico revealed and Percy didn’t dare to tell him that he had been thinking about Nico himself. It would elicit unwanted confusion and awkwardness; the last thing Percy needed was for Nico to shrink back again. “Do you?”

“Er, what? Ah yes, but mostly when I’m alone.” He thought about Nico so much these days that thinking about the raven-haired boy had become some kind of harmless pastime for Percy. It proved to be helpful whenever he wanted to distract himself from the inexorable, dark thoughts Tartarus cursed him with. “Wait, that’s mine.”

“Early bird catches the worm!” Nico laughed at Percy’s attempt to reach for the cookie he was holding. Percy half-scoffed, half-pouted at the triumphant smile gracing the younger’s lips. It had taken Nico two months to reach a certain level of comfort at the Jackson’s household and since then he had had to compete against the boy for the last cookie every time.

“Aww, don’t look so hurt.” Nico snapped the blue treat in halves. Percy was about to accept it, but Nico had pushed a half into his mouth, leaning across the table. Percy must have looked surprised because he immediately spotted a blush diffusing Nico’s face.

“Can’t help it, they’re delicious.” His voice was muffled as he chewed.

“Now you’re just looking for an excuse to praise yourself.” Nico grinned, the blush hadn’t faded completely “I bet I can do better, if you teach me how to bake.”

Their chatting continued without further disruption, yet Percy had a feeling that Nico would started to notice their newfound proximity. He could only hope the son of Hades didn’t feel threatened by the level of comfort he recently found from Percy.

**=0=**

Nico wouldn’t lean back against him. This had happened so much that Percy lost count already.

He sighed, his body ached and Percy stifled a whimper lest he woke Nico. He could sense that the two old ladies sitting at the end of the bus were no threat, if not a little wary of him and Nico. After all, they had boarded looking battered and bruised all over. He wondered what Nico’s sword looked like to them; a baseball bat would appear pretty intimidating. However, the most important thing was that he and Nico felt safe on their way home.

The mission had been the toughest one he had ever got ever since Chiron announced that demigods could take up missions again. This time, Nico and Percy had been assigned to locate Alabaster Torrington, the rogue demigod son of Hecate, then convince him to cooperate with Hazel and other Magic-familiar demigods to break the curse Lamia had laid on every demigod. Chiron had somehow thought that it was best for Percy, the chief demigod that had led two Wars in the names of Olympian, to find Alabaster. The outcome couldn’t be anymore disastrous. The brown-haired demigod had lunged at Percy before he could even open his mouth and unlike Torrington, Percy couldn’t risk injuring his opponent. Now, he got a new scar above his collarbone and they lost track of Torrington. A few Basilisks considered them easy targets just after Torrington had got away, unfortunately. After escaping by the skin of their teeth, Percy insisted that they should head back to inform Chiron of what they knew. And to also send someone that was not well-known enough to be resented by Kronos’s defeated army. Last but not least, the exiguous finance they had been provided with wouldn’t last them any longer even if they did want to soldier on.

He glanced at Nico’s sleeping face, which was a strange sight to look at given that the seemingly permanent frown was absent. He looked like he needed a lot of sleep, but he wasn’t suffering anymore. Nico’s bangs grew long enough to tickle his nose, so Percy attempted to push the locks aside once or twice before giving up completely. Maybe he would consider hairpins as proper presents next time. _An angel,_ Percy’s mind whispered as Percy felt himself heating up. Thinking of Nico as an angel shouldn’t be a sign of anything else but platonic affections, should it?

The bus bumped and Nico’s head inclined towards Percy’s shoulder the fifth or sixth time that ride. Percy could even imagine the weight and Nico’s dark locks tickling his neck before any contact was made, yet Nico flinched in his sleep and steadied himself again, almost instinctively. Percy let out an actual groan, this time. Nico was soundly asleep and somehow he could still avoid relying on someone as if it was his second nature.

He thought about how that one reticulated Basilisk had flung itself at Nico and made an effort to strangle its victim to death. He shuddered at how Nico had dropped his sword and writhed on the ground. How Nico had received a bite or two on his leg while he had been wheezing labouredly before Percy could help. How cold his fingers and face turned out. Had Percy been too late, he would have lost Nico.

And now, Nico was looking as if he didn’t almost die, completely at peace. In his sleep, the son of Hades could still refuse to just lean on Percy for awhile.

The bus bumped again as it ran over another hole and Percy couldn’t stand it anymore; he pulled Nico against his shoulder. Nico’s head fell comfortably, almost naturally against his neck and Nico even snuggled closer to Percy. Percy heard a contented sigh from the sleeping boy and released a breath he was unknowingly holding as well. His heart was still trying to break through his ribcage and could only be calmed down with a few deep breaths later.

Percy was heading home on a bus, his body ached and he could finally close his eyes and sleep, too, with Nico leaning against him.

                                                                        =0=

“Percy, do you know that you look absolutely adorable in your sleep?” Nico asked him one day when they got off the metro and were walking towards Half-Blood Hill. Percy had felt bemused.

“Did you just outright tell me that you watch me when I sleep?” Percy asked, seizing the chance to feel better about looking at Nico’s sleeping face whenever they boarded public vehicles.

“Yeah?” Nico nodded, seemingly found the matter not creepy at all. “It’s not like I invaded your privacy.”

“Did I drool?”

“Yes, you did. The rumors are true.” Nico poked his rib and Percy dodged, giggling. Camp Half-Blood’s occasional screaming and cheerful tumult could be heard from the distance, which made Percy’s inside churn with unexplainable regret. Maybe he was already missing the closure that he and Nico shared on their missions, or at his parent’s house. At Camp, he might not even run into Nico at all but for daily meals in the Dining Hall where he would secretly glance at the son of Hades.

When Nico pulled him along by the sleeve of his hoodie, Percy realized that he would miss the shorter boy in front of him. He would miss all the inside jokes about his seemingly insane, but effective ways nonetheless to defeat monsters they came across. They also enjoyed sharing stories on their own adventures and movie references. He would miss the smiles, the laughs and the comfort so much that he might-

“Nico!” Percy’s mind frantically searched for an excuse. A reason that would allow them to spend more time with each other at Camp. “Would you like to come over my cabin tonight?”

“To do what??” Nico’s face flushed red at the drop of a hat and Percy reminded himself to tease Nico about possible dirty thoughts that definitely had crossed his mind.

“Cardboard games. I have tons of them under the bed.”

“Cardboard games sound fun.” The smile Percy adored so much appeared on Nico’s tanned face. “Definitely, Percy.”

Nico’s hand left his sleeve the moment they passed the border of Camp, but he knew he would be holding it again tonight.

=0=

“Truth or Dare, everyone?” Leia suggested and was met with groans. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Darling, it’s just weird to, you know, have to kiss someone from the same cabin.” Drew twirled the nail file in her hand and Percy was impressed with her well-manicured fingernails. Leia has been absorbing Drew’s teaching like an apprentice, to everyone’s amusement. Good. Drew finally had someone to confide in.

“We can be careful with our questions. I’d love to have some mindless fun for awhile. All this building shrines is killing me.” Jason’s voice came muffled from the pillow which he was planting his face in. He had crawled into the party, exhausted but craving for some time with his friends. Percy guessed that was understandable; whoever had had to travel back and forth to converse with stuck-up immortals should be given a break among his own kin.

After the first few Dares, Percy firmly believe it was best that Nico had turned in early today because he now couldn’t get rid of some horrifying images including two dudes braiding each other’s armpit hair. And also Piper using a pink dildo as a microphone to sing Paramore. And also Grover being spanked by flip-flops. At least, he had a good laugh.

“Percy!” The son of Poseidon was snapped out of his wandering thoughts. The bottle was pointing at him. “Truth or Dare?”

“Uh…Truth.” He told Leia, who was wearing panties on her head. Two very pink and laced panties.

“First Truth for tonight, ladies and gentlemen!” Piper announced with the obnoxious dildo as her microphone. “Go on, Leia.”

“Have you been crushing on anyone lately?”

“Nah.” Percy flashed her a smile, just to be glared at by Drew. “I’m happily single.”

“Do you have anyone in mind? No, wait. Do you think of anyone too constantly?”

Wow, come to think about it, Percy hadn’t jerked off to anyone he knew for a very long time. He was back to his favorite celebrity without his own knowledge.

“No.” _There was just Nico and-_

 _Oh no. Oh fucking hell_.

Jason let out a small “Oh fuck” and Percy must have looked so pathetic that everyone gave him their trademark pity sighs. But he didn’t even think about Nico that way! He just-they couldn’t possibly-

“I guess you’ll have someone in mind now, Jackson.” Drew waved her hand dismissively. “Carry on.”

                                                                        =0=

Nico sobbed into his shoulder and Percy felt guilty for not having paid attention to the movie. Today Leia lent them an unfamiliar DVD for they had run out of things to watch. Thanks to Nyssa’s affinity for televisions and disk players, all cabins were now able to catch up with popular culture products. The very much appreciated installation came just in time, for the cardboard games could only last Nico and him for two months.

The characters seemed to be sharing their first-but-also-last kiss in a cave before a meteor crashed onto it. Credits were being rolled up after their tragic demise while Nico’s sobs were finally reduced to the occasional sniffs. Percy ran his hand through Nico’s soft hair and was hit with the need to say something.

“That’s a sad way to have your first kiss.” He commented. Nico nodded into his shoulder without a response.

“Have you had your first kiss?” Percy continues and was surprised to receive a hesitant headshake.

“I’ve always thought there was something between you and Will last year. How come there wasn’t?”

“He was weirded out when I told him I’m over eighty years old.” Nico chuckled with his scratchy voice. “No one has an old-man fetish these days.”

 _I do._ Percy wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut nevertheless.

They were cleaning up when Nico spoke to him again. “Percy, can you be my first kiss?”

Percy knocked over the can of grape juice on the table he was wiping. “What?” he squawked.

“Would you mind being my first kiss?” Nico asked firmly.

Percy flopped down onto the nearby chair, as if he wanted to be anchored there when Nico moved towards him. The son of Hades looked like having that kiss at all costs and Percy wouldn’t deny him that. But he had to know where this came from.

“Why me? I know we are best friends, but why me?”

“I just want my first kiss to be you.”

“Okay. C’mere.”

Nico leaned in and Percy sucked in a breath; his ears and lungs flaring with heat. He relished in the pressure of Nico’s lips on his just to feel his stomach drop when Nico started to pull away. The son of Hades couldn’t possibly **_peck_** him for a first kiss, could he!?

Percy realized this was probably the furthest he could go with Nico, because they wouldn’t be able to make this work. There was too much history, too many unresolved problems and-

He pulled the Underworld demigod closer and parted those thin lips with a soft bite. Nico let him in almost immediately so Percy could deepen the kiss, could somehow make Nico enjoy this selfish endeavor as well. His tongue worked gently in Nico’s mouth and Percy could feel the face in his hands heating up with satisfaction. They both stopped breathing.

Nico responded in a desperate manner, his hands gripping the broad shoulders before him like a life line. He pushed back against Percy, too and Percy could almost believe that Nico wanted to show him something. Something that never stopped living, breathing despite the furious attempts to bury it. Something that had been waiting for Percy since too long ago.

He saw Nico. A boy so afraid of dying unloved, unwanted. A boy who thought he was difficult and there were barriers that surround him from others. A boy who would love so fiercely that whoever the lucky person was would feel obliged to love him back just as much. A boy who would be loyal until the very end.

But they couldn’t.

Nico searched Percy’s eyes as they parted, and when he didn’t find what he was looking for, he shadow-traveled away. Percy didn’t stop him.

Neither of them mentioned the kiss again until very long after.

                                                                        =0=

“You know how stupid it is to always run from your problems and never actually solve them?” Percy gestured wildly at an unconscious Hazel on the sofa. “This is why you must not do that!”

“My problems?” Nico snapped back, eyes blazing with anger. “More like your problems! Moreover, have you ever wondered why I develop the harmful defense mechanism then?”

“Oh hell no! You’re not pinning the blame on me this time, are you?” Percy got the fuck out of the Big House so as not to tire Hazel out any further. Luckily, Nico followed. He hoped Chiron would be back with the antidote soon enough so she could feel better before dinner.

“I went searching for you all those two years, practically begged you to come back to Camp. But, no!” Percy threw up his hands, the heat of summer proved to be too much for him right now. “You refused to return every damn time!”

“You make it sound fucking easy to come back to the place where everyone **_hated_** me.” Nico slammed open the door to the Arena and Percy followed him to the top bench. “Easy for you to say, you’re a hero!”

“And look where that got me!” Percy barred out his neck where the claw lines ran across tanned skin. Nico was almost tempted to point out that those scars were the root of their argument; Percy could see it written all over his face. “Besides, you could have said yes to me and I would have helped you fight your way into this place. I would have made them accept you, somehow! But you didn’t. And I had thought that you didn’t want my help, I had thought you hated me.”

“You know I didn’t.” Nico mumbled, his head hung low. “I never could.”

The moment Nico showed a sign of resignation was the moment Percy felt the energy to argue left him as well. What was the point of fighting when they cared for each other so much? He then went through a flashback of how it all started.

He had been reckless… Suicidal even, according to Annabeth and Will Solace. Nico had noticed his self-destructive tendency as they went on more and more quests together but never got the guts to confront him about it. Not until an Empousa had had her hands around his neck did Nico pluck up the courage to talk about his unhealthy tendency with him.

The talk must have been worse than Nico had anticipated, and by ‘worse’ Percy meant that he himself hadn’t taken it very well. The next morning Nico disappeared and Percy had contacted Hazel the moment he found out. Hazel was just as furious as him when she heard the news. She set up a plan to sneak out on a two-week quest to locate the wayward son of Hades. When they finally got him, however, Nico attempted to shadow-travel away from them (which was a dick move-he would tell Nico later). Hazel had grabbed onto her brother, not firmly enough to be transported with him, resulting in her loss of consciousness. Fortunately, Pluto showed up with a list of ingredients needed to brew an antidote when they returned to Camp. Chiron had left them inside to work on it.

“I have to say sorry to Hazel.” Nico croaked and Percy turned to see a boy who was trying hard not to cry. He was failing. “Percy, I’m sorry.”

Percy didn’t know what to say. The Underworld demigod knew how deadly the shadows could be and he was undeniably worried sick for Hazel’s life. And maybe, just maybe he had been worried about Percy the same way ever since their first quest, too.

“I’m sorry, too.” He told Nico and was greeted with a wet, tearful face. He had to tell Nico more. They both needed to hear the thoughts concealed in their early stage of friendship. “I tell myself that I must always be prepared to die for people, but I guess I’ve been lying to myself. I want to die because sometimes I don’t understand why I lived and they didn’t. I don’t see why I deserve to exist happily.”

Nico looked at him, his eyes red and leaking more tears. Percy felt his heart ached, but he had to carry on. “Now I finally see that I should try and _live_ for others. It’s much more difficult but there’s no reason behind it. Despite not knowing why I deserve life, I have to live for those who had fallen.”

Percy saw Nico’s mouth open to say something, but he couldn’t stop once he had started. “I see you there, Nico, struggling but living nonetheless. I see you trying so hard to protect yourself, though sometimes a bit too extremely. I see you so full of life even though you’ve gone through the worst alone and unloved. So I should try to live as well.”

“I-I never knew.” Nico admitted. “But Percy, I-” He took a few deep breaths to continue. “I once thought I had to live for Bianca. It was a powerful source of motivation, living the life my sister never had. However, as I began to feel the pain and the plight of being a demigod, a child of Hades…I started to think that she probably wouldn’t want this life.”

Percy frowned when Nico gestured all over himself for the “this life” part, but then dark eyes met green ones and he understood what Nico hadn’t meant. He nodded. Nico attempted a smile before he started once more. “Then I realized that I want it. I want this life. I want to live as the happiest child of Hades that has ever existed. I don’t want to end up dying alone. So I live for myself. And I think you wouldn’t want to just die after going through so much. I think you should live for yourself first, before living for anyone else.”

There was this feeling inside Percy and it told him he wouldn’t be able to handle not being in Nico’s life. He wouldn’t be able to forget the boy next to him. He wanted to know Nico and have him in his life.

“So, no more running away?” Percy heard himself plead “I may help you the wrong way, but you only have to tell me and I won’t do it again. Accept my help and talk to me when something bothers you, okay?”

“Okay.”

They hugged on the top bench of the Arena. As he was wrapped up in Nico’s warm embrace, Percy decided to try living for himself from now on. And he had Nico to make it feel easier.

                                                                                    =0=

“No, no.” Nico shook his head, backing away from the lava climbing wall. “I can’t do this!”

Percy laughed when Nico pointed a finger at the atrocity in front of him. He understood that the wall could look quite intimidating to those who never tried climbing it.

“I guess you have never seen Camp from up there, have you?” he pointed at the top of the wall. “The scenery is pretty fantastic if you get there before the alarm.”

“So it works with an alarm?” Nico confirmed, not sounding any less apprehensive. “How’s that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Well, you can set it for an hour later if you’re _that_ unconfident. Although, you can always shadow-travel to the top if anything goes wrong.”

“It still doesn’t feel safe. Aren’t there supposed to be gears or safety equipments?”

Percy saw the chance and took it. “Real life doesn’t give us gears and safety equipments! There are only monsters after us, so you kids better know how to climb the wall and face,” he pulled off the dramatic tone that Mr. D would use whenever the lack of safety gears was questioned. “-Real Life Danger.”

Nico burst out laughing and Percy could feel his own face split into a smile. “Come on, let’s have a little competition, shall we?”

“I bet you can’t get there before me.”

“Never bet against me, Nico. Because I’m going to win at it.”

 

When they both got to the top of the wall, Percy was laughing hysterically.

“The only reason I was behind you was because your ass kept getting in my face!” Nico tried to sound angry to no avail because he, too, was laughing so much that tears were brimming out from the corner of his almond-shaped eyes.

“That’s the idea!” Percy wriggled his behind. “I know I have a distracting ass.”

“Your ass actually bumped at my face once, you know.” Nico was risking falling off because of uncontrollable laughter. “Y-you slipped two steps away from the top. It was horrifying.”

“We wouldn’t be having this much fun if you chickened out, you know.” Percy told him as they watched the sunset and Camp from above. Splodges of fire had been lit at the front of every Cabin, indicating that dinner time was close. Once the green flames in front of Nico’s cabin lit up, everyone should be ready to dine at the Dining Hall.

“Me? Chicken out? Never.” Nico grinned, and Percy was happy to be met with the grin that revealed Nico di Angelo’s left dimple.

When the sun finally disappeared from view and the roaring of the entire Ares cabin could be heard in the queue for food, Nico turned to Percy.

“You’re right, we wouldn’t be having this much fun if I didn’t give it a try.” He smiled. “I guess we should take a chance on anything before reaching a conclusion. I’m glad I decided to try again with Camp because I have never felt happier than this. And even if it didn’t work out, I would have nothing to regret anyway.”

“It’s not even 9 P.M and we’re already going deep, aren’t we?” Percy teased and poked at Nico. Nico grabbed his hand and together, they materialized out of thin air at the bottom of the queue for food.

Yet, Percy was unable to say as much as he usually would that night. Because Nico had just unknowingly given him a clue, on which he would plan his course of action as soon as possible. However it would end, Percy had to give it a try.

                                                                        =0=

                                                                        =0=

“Oh.”

“What’s that?” Nico asked, curious. They were lying on the grass field near camp, staring at the clouds in silence when Percy said “Oh” aloud as if he had just discovered the secret of the universe.

“You know how they say love is when a person plans to glance at the one they love and looks up just to see their other half staring at them already?” Percy licked his lips. Nico blinked a few times then nodded. Percy looked as if he had just come up with random, meaningful thoughts that always interested Nico. Or at lease, elicited a genuine reaction from the son of Hades.

“When I glance at you in the Dining Hall, you never notice. You were never looking at my direction.” Percy informed him, no hint of sadness could be spotted on his face.

“The same goes to you.” Nico answered, propping himself up on his elbows. “You look cute not knowing you are spied on.”

“Cute?” Percy shoved Nico lightly with a dignified look on his face. “You think I’m cute? I’ll show you cute!”

Nico was defenseless against Percy as the taller held him down and tickled the life out of him. The grassed brushed against Nico’s back as he struggled to break free. Fresh breezes eased the tension of the last days of summer. Lungs burned. Bodies ached. Percy laughed along with the dying-animal sounds Nico let out; they both enjoyed the moment immensely.

This would be the picture used to exemplify the definition of happiness.

“You jerk.” Nico stuck out his tongue at Percy. It felt strange to do that but Percy did the same and smiles appeared on both of their faces.

“You know,” Percy started, his voice hoarse from laughing. “We are looking at each other’s direction now.”

Nico took a few seconds to dwell in the green of Percy’s eyes before replying. “Yeah?”

“We are looking at each other’s direction now, Nico. And I love you.”

“You,” Nico’s eyes widened.

“-love Nico di Angelo very much.”

Nico couldn’t help feeling thrilled although he knew that there was something going on between them. He didn’t want to initiate anything after that first kiss in the kitchen and Percy had taken so long that he stopped hoping. In fact, Nico was doing great at learning to be content only with their friendship.

What surprised him, however, were the moment Percy chose to say it. Why now?

“Why not now?” Percy asked him, his eyes filled with joy. “You know me best of all people. And you love me so much that it hurt if I couldn’t tell you that I love you back the same.”

He recalled with a smile how Percy had carried him bridal style into the infirmary after he had scraped his knee. How they dried each other’s hair one moment and started towel-tossing battles the next one. How they hugged after every fight. How tearstains were wiped away gently with a wet cloth late, late at night. Nico’s recollection reminded him that there once was a time when he had thought their intimacy was something out of reach. Now this closeness was nothing but natural. It all made sense in the end.

“Kiss me.” Nico looked up at Percy, who had been patiently waiting for him. He glanced at the slightly agape mouth of Percy and **_those lips._**

“Please.” Nico licked his chapped lips, his insides burning with want.

Percy leaned in to connect their lips but he lot balance and crashed on top of Nico clumsily. The latter was caught off guard by the minor accident and he was about to tease Percy for it when the son of Poseidon pressed him down to finally kiss him. The laughter died in his throat.

Nico sighed when he realized the anticipation he had experienced in their first kiss was missing. Everything was so real and certain for both of them now that there was nothing but pure love Nico felt. He let Percy take control and guide him into the kiss. His cheeks pink with happiness. Warm body pressure and caressing tongues made his head spin.

“I love you.” He heard Percy repeat between their kisses. “I love you. _God, I really do_.”

 

“It all makes sense in the end, didn’t it?” Nico asked, drowsy with sunlight and Percy.

Percy turned and kissed Nico’s head, which was resting against his chest. Wrapping Nico up with his arms, he told Nico. “It isn’t the end.”Another kiss, another giggle. “ It’s the beginning of us.”

 

                                                                          Finite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think about it! Any mistake will be fixed if noticed.


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